Conflicting perspectives on homosexuality among Indian students: A qualitative inquiry

Pages: 264-268
Sumangali Radhakrishnan (Department of Psychology, Jesus and, Mary College, University of Delhi, Delhi )
Akanksha Malik (Department of Management, Studies, IIT Delhi )
Jayanti Bharadwaj (Human Resources Schneider, Electric, Gurgaon, Haryana )
Shubhi Prasad (Human Resources, Cars 24 Services )

Drawing on interviews, the article aims to study conflicting perspectives on legalisation of homosexuality with a sample of nine students from different universities, fields of study, and geographical locations across India. Five different spheres of conflicts in representations have been identified: (1) homosexuality as a natural occurrence versus homosexuality as an abnormality; (2) the notion of freedom for all vs. need for social restrictions; (3) sanctity of traditional marriage versus marriage as an expression of love and trust for all with respect to same-sex marriages; (4) trichotomy in the representation of families with same-sex parents; and (5) support and tolerance for family members and friends, in case of perceived homosexuality. Implications for future research and the way forward have been discussed.